Story+1988-07-22+Berlin,+Germany

“Nice to be in West Berlin (crowd cheers) this is the first bit of summer we’ve got on this whole tour…are you really from Asbury Park out there? yeah?...it’s hot back there now…people laying out on the beach…sing it, Ritchie, sing it for the girl from Asbury Park, alright? (chuckles) sing it, man (the horn section starts harmonizing) yeah! (crowd cheers)...here she comes walking…let me hear you (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) oh, that’s right, try it again (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) yeah, she’s looking so fine (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) she’s moving on down the line now (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) I just wanna get her attention (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) Baby, how can I get your attention? (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) Honey, how can I get your attention? (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) well, should I listen to my heart? (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) or should I listen to my head? (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) I don’t know (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) well, should I listen to my heart now? (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) I’d better listen to my head (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) and I better stay right here and stare (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) mmmm (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) oh, but she’s looking so good and I’m thinking “Should I? Should I?” (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) I’m little on the shy side, you see…I’m thinking “Should I (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) should I ask her… should I ask her, uh…well, should I listen to my heart? (crowd cheers)(crowd: “Here she comes walking”) I don’t know – well, should I listen to my heart now? (crowd cheers)(crowd: “Here she comes walking”) well, should I listen to my heart? (crowd cheers) (crowd: “Here she comes walking”) I listen to my heart (crowd cheers) should I? (crowd cheers) alright, let’s try it…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “All That Heaven Will Allow”**

“This is a song about a woman struggling to understand the value of her own independent existence…and the value of the life of her child…trying to put away the past…and to find something new…and beautiful…and meaningful in her life…now…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “Spare Parts”**

“This is for all fans in East Berlin (crowd cheers)…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “Chimes of Freedom”**

“Thanks (crowd cheers) thank you (crowd cheers) we’re gonna take a short break and then we’re gonna be back and rock you all night long, alright? (crowd cheers) so we’ll see you in a little while, ok? (crowd cheers)…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, after “Chimes of Freedom”**

”Ever since I was little bitty baby...I remember my mama telling me...there are things in this world...that you can look at...but that you cannot touch...I remember in my little diaper I was crawling across the living room floor...heading for that TV set…she looked down at me and said “Son...Oh, Bruce”...she said “Oh Bruce...Son, don’t you touch that thing...Son, don’t you touch that thing...yeah, you can look but you can’t touch that thing...I remember going to a department store, I was about ten years old, went into the toy department...headed for all them little toy soldiers...seen the saleslady come sneaking down the aisle...she said “Boy...hey boy! ...Son, don’t you touch that thing...Son, don’t you touch that thing...yeah, you can look but you can’t touch that thing...then I remember taking my girlfriend out on a date, I was about 17 years old (crowd cheers) took her to a nice dark place to park...sat there for a minute, took a look at her...she looked at me, I looked at her ...I put my hand on her knee...I whispered sweet things in her ear ...I put my hand on her thigh...and I whispered sweeter things in her ear...I went to put my hand on her...on her...aah...and she said “Son don’t you touch that thing...son, don’t you touch that thing... yeah you can look but you can’t touch that thing....”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “You Can Look”**

‘‘Is there anybody alive out there tonight? (crowd cheers) is there anybody that can feel the living, breathing spirit down in their souls out there tonight? (crowd cheers) that’s good, that’s good…because I got a question…that I want to ask you…do we have any brave... heroic...courageous...badass...Berlin men in the audience tonight? (crowd cheers) do we have any macho men out there? (crowd cheers) oh yeah...because I’ve known men that would swim rivers...that would climb mountains...that would wrestle with the beasts of the jungle...but there was one thing that they was afraid of...there was one thing that scared them to death...do you want to know what that one thing was? (crowd cheers) do you want to know what that one thing that frightened those brave men to death was? (crowd cheers) I’m talking about L-U-V - I’m talking about love...when they got next to love, they ran home to their mommies like little babies...like little boys...that’s right...now do we have any sweet…courageous … sexy Berlin women out there tonight? (crowd cheers) do we have any heroic Berlin girls out there tonight? come on girls, let me hear you (crowd cheers) because I’m talking to you too...I’ve known women that when they got next to love, they ran home to their isolation and to their loneliness...that’s right...now, I’m not just down here tonight pointing my finger...I’m down here ‘cause I’ve got a confession that I have to make...and what I want to say is I have sinned!...and I’m not ashamed...and I don’t need no Jerry Falwell or Jimmy Swaggert to forgive me, those boys can kiss my ass, baby (crowd cheers) what I want to say is and I’m a brave man if I don’t say so myself...but what I’ve got to confess to ...what I’ve got to testify to...what I’ve got to confess to is...that I’m a coward...when it comes to love...”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “I’m a Coward”**

“Well, now sometimes I feel…yeah, I get feeling so lonely…that’s when I know that I gotta reach out to somebody because I need a little help (crowd cheers) somebody to help me dance away my troubles for a night…yeah, dancing…well, now I’m searching, I’m searching, I’m searching for my baby…yeah, I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking for my baby…well, I’m searching, I’m searching, I’m searching for my baby…well, I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking for my baby…I said I’m searching, I’m searching, I’m searching for my baby…yeah, I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking for my baby…well, I’m searching, I’m searching, I’m searching for my baby…yeah, I’m looking, I’m looking, I’m looking for my baby - come on up, Sugar…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, towards the end of “Dancing in the Dark”**

“On the piano, Professor Roy Bittan (crowd cheers) on the drums, the Mighty Max Weinberg (crowd cheers) on the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren (crowd cheers) on the guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa (crowd cheers) on the bass guitar, Mr. Garry W. Tallent (crowd cheers) on the organ, Phantom Dan Federici (crowd cheers) and back on the horns we got Eddie “Kingfish” Manion, Ritchie La Bamba, Mark “The Love Man,” Mike, Mario Cruz, the mighty Horns of Love (crowd cheers) and last but not least, the incredible, the undeniable, the unbelievable, the unexplainable, the impeccably dressed, the handsomest man you’ve ever seen, the king of the world, the master of the universe, the true heavyweight champion of the entire goddamn joint, Clarence “Big Man” Clemons on the saxophone (crowd cheers)…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, middle of “Light of Day”**

“Vielen dank (crowd cheers) Ihr sind die grösste (crowd cheers)…” [“Thank you very much…you are the greatest…”]
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You”**

“I can keep going but you look too tired to me, man (crowd cheers) see, this is when I just start feeling good! (crowd cheers) you look too tired to me, I, I don’t think you can make it (crowd cheers) no, I don’t think so…I can tell when the audience is getting tired (crowd cheers) you look, you look a little on the tired side to me, man (crowd cheers) no? (crowd: “No”) no? (crowd: “No”) are you sure? (crowd cheers) are you sure? (crowd cheers) then I got a question I wanna ask you…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “Sweet Soul Music”**

“Are you ready for a little religious liberation? (crowd cheers) for a little spiritual affirmation? (crowd cheers) for a little sexual consummation? (crowd cheers) then just raise your hand one time… (…) Now before I go, there’s one last thing I’ve got to know…is there something that you need out there? (crowd: “Yeah”) is there something that you want? (crowd: “Yeah”) is there something that deep down inside of your heart you just got to have? (crowd: “Yeah”) then show a little guts and raise your hand… (…) That’s my message…come on, boys, get me out of here…” [According to the report in Backstreets Magazine, “at the end of “Raise Your Hand” Bruce attempts to leave the stage but finds, to his amusement, that the side stage door is locked.”]
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “Raise Your Hand”**

“Looks like we blew a, blew a fuse in this place (crowd cheers) oh shit (crowd cheers) we knocked all the lights out, we can’t play no more now (crowd cheers) ain’t no more lights (crowd cheers) you don’t mind listening in the dark, do you? (crowd cheers) then let’s play one more in the dark, boys (crowd cheers) here’s looking at you…”
 * 22.07.88 West Berlin, West Germany, intro to “Twist and Shout”**

//Compiled by Johanna Pirttijärvi//